Areas getting 'beaver ready' for possible release

2 hours ago

Maisie LillywhiteGloucestershire

Beavers were reintroduced to the Forest of Dean in 2018 and now other locations are being considered in Gloucestershire

Getty Images A beaver's face from the snout up sticks out of the water, along with its body, as it glides through. Its fur is wet. — Beavers were reintroduced to the Forest of Dean in 2018 and now other locations are being considered in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is being made "beaver ready" as a project to reintroduce the native mammals enters its next phase.

The Severn Vale Beaver Project, organised by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Forestry England, is hoping to reintroduce beavers to more Forest of Dean locations after the first pair arrived in 2018.

There has been strong support for the project from the public, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust said, adding it is now preparing the county to welcome more of the mammals through further planning and stakeholder engagement.

As part of the next phase, two assistant species recovery officers will be appointed to support beavers, landowners and communities.

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There is no guarantee reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver will go ahead, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust said, and any next steps will require licensing approval from Natural England.

"We believe that reintroducing beavers to the Severn Vale will be positive for both people and wildlife, helping to recreate lost habitats, increase biodiversity, and reduce downstream flooding for at-risk properties," said Emma Hutchins, director of nature's recovery at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.

"We are committed to working with local people to minimise the risk of effects from beavers on other land uses, while enabling beavers to resume their place as a keystone species in our ecosystem."

Sites along the River Frome are being considered

Getty Images A covered section of the River Frome, surrounded by woodland, as it gushes over rocks. The water looks murky, — Sites along the River Frome are being considered

The trust said the next stage follows its feasibility study, which identified the two locations and found 91% of the surveyed public were in favour of beavers returning to Gloucestershire.

Prior to being hunted to extinction about 400 years ago, beavers were widespread across Britain for more than two million years.

Dr Amy Fitzmaurice, species recovery officer for Forestry England, said the beavers in enclosures in the Forest of Dean were "making a real difference" by restoring wetlands, creating habitat, and slowing the flow of water.

"Across the country, beavers are starting to return to the wild too, but that kind of change takes time and careful planning," she said.

"By working with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and other partners, we've been able to look closely at what beavers could mean for the Severn catchment, the opportunities they bring, as well as the challenges."

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